Accessible suspended ceiling construction



May 23, 1961 D. A. BROWN ACCESSIBLE SUSPENDED CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 8, 1958 /Nl EN7'0R.- v /2 2079,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofiee Patented May 23, 1961 ACCESSIBLE SUSPENDED CEILING CONSTRUCTION Donald A. Brown, Westlake, Ohio, assignor to Donn Pfroggicts Incorporated, Westlake, Ohio, a corporation 0 Filed Sept. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 759,500

4 Claims. (Cl. 50-396) This invention relates to a suspended tile ceiling. Such ceilings are generally made from kerfed cellulose tiles which are suspended from beam or runner members having dual horizontal flanges which fit into the kerfs of the 1116. Usually such suspended ceilings are spaced from the oists of the floor above to permit running electrical conduits, water and drain pipes, ducts, etc. in the space above the suspended ceiling. T 0 provide access to this space for repair and inspection of said conduits and ducts, it is desirable to be able to remove several of the tiles from the ceiling to provide an access opening. Heretofore the interlocked edges of adjacent tiles required first the removal of a tile having an accessible free edge, this tile being located at the edge of the ceiling. It was then necessary to remove contiguous tiles one at a time until the desired area was reached, whereupon a suflicient number of tiles were removed to make the pipes or other facilities accessible. Obviously, this is a time-consuming job, especially where the ceiling spans a large room and the desired point of access is in the center of the ceiling.

I The primary object of the present invention is to provide a suspended ceiling construction in which access may be obtained at any desired location which may be predetermined before the ceiling is erected.

This object is acccomplished by providing a break or gap in a pair of adjacent parallel runner members near a point where each runner is secured to a common furring strip. Each runner then has on either side of the break one free end, which is movable upwardly, and one fixed end. The free end is supported by a rigid extension which rests on top of the fixed end, thus permitting the free end of the runner to be lifted. One or more tiles may extend between the adjacent parallel runners, depending upon the size of the tiles and the support required. The joint which extends transversely of the runners between abutting tiles preferably falls in the break between the free and fixed ends of the runners. Obviously, if a single tile spans the space between the fixed and free ends, the fixed end will prevent lifting the free end of the runner. The tile extending between the free ends is thus capable of being elevated the short distance necessary to expose the edge of an adjacent tile, supported by the fixed runners, to permit removal thereof. Once the first tile has been removed there is no difliculty in removing contiguous tiles to provide the size of access opening desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction of this type in which the extension arm supporting the free end of the runner telescopes into said free end to provide a tight joint without using any tools.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling constructed in accordance with the invention showing a tile being removed from the fixed runners after the free ends of the runners adjacent thereto have been lifted;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the free end of one runner and the extension arm which may befixed thereto by a telescopic connection;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of both the free and fixed ends of a runner showing the extension supporting the free end and the tile in cross section;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 in which the free end of the runner is in elevated position to permit release of the tile supported by the fixed end; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawing, it will be noted that the main supports constitute furring strips 10 which are metal channel members extending across the celling in one direction. These furring strips are secured to the joists above in any suitable manner. Parallel spaced runners 12 extend at right angles to the furring strips 10 and are secured thereto by means of wire clips or hooks 14, Figure 4. Tiles, indicated generally at 16, have kerfed edges 15 which are adapted to receive fianges 32, 33 extending outwardly from the runner members 12.

Runners 12 are usually made from a piece of metal which has been bent into T shape having a vertical web member 34, a base member 32, 33 and an additional flange at the top perpendicular to the web indicated by the numeral 36. Although the runner 12 has been illustrated as being formed from a single piece of metal, it will be understood that it may be constructed from several pieces in any suitable manner to provide the designated shape, or it may be an extrusion. A groove 37 is provided in the base portion 32 immediately adjacent the lower edge of the web 34. This groove is adapted to receive the extension arm 20 as pointed out hereinafter. A ri'b 38 extends longitudinally in the upper flange 36 and is spaced from the Web '34 a sufficient distance to permit receiving the flange 26 of the extension member 20. Projections in the form of protuberances or blips 41 are longitudinally spaced along the web 34 to cause the tiles secured to the runners to fit snugly. The protuberances project alternately from opposite sides of the Web. The flanges 32, 33 are disposed within the kerfs 15 of tiles 16. One tile joins each flange on either side of the web 34 against which the edges of the tile abut, as shown in Figure 5.

The runner members 12 are of such length that they terminate approximately at the point where access through the ceiling is desired. If the normal length in which the runners are supplied is not suitable for providing access at the desired point, the runners may be cut to the desired length. In any event, there is a break provided in a pair of runners, between which one or more tiles extend, to form a free end 12a and a fixed end 121'). Only one of the pair is shown in the drawing since they are identical. The break is provided immediately adjacent the point where the runner is secured to the channel or furring strip 10 by means of the hook 14. The portion 12b is secured to the furring strip and thus becomes the fixed end. The space between the free end 12a and the fixed end 12b may range between /2 and 3 inches, and usually runs around 2 inches. It will be obvious that in order to elevate the free end, the tile secured thereto will have to abut the tile secured to the fixed end at some point beyond the fixed end and preferably within the break between the ends.

The extension arm 20 comprises a web portion 25 and a right angle flange 26. The extension arm has an offset portion, indicated at 27, 28, dividing the arm into a bearing portion 24 and a telescoping portion 22. The amount of the oifset is sutficient to cause the faces of the bearing portion 24 to be flush wtih the web 34 and the flange 36 when the arm is inserted in the runner 12, as best illustrated in Figure 3. The offset portions 27 and 28 abut the end 35 of the runner segment 12a and prevent the arm from sliding into the runner past this point. The lower edge of the web runs in the groove 37 and the flange 26 runs int-the channel provided between the web 34 .and the rib 7 3,8 .-of .-,th e runner 12 A plurality of openings are provided inthe web -25 to :permit pushing the extension arm pastthe-protuberances 41 if the arm must .be connected at a'point where the protuberances are located. Likewise, the bearing portion 24 of the extension arm is cut out as indicated at 2310 prevent interference with protuberances 41 in the fixed end 12b of the runner.

As best illustrated .in Figure 4, the runners 12aand the tile supported thereby may be moved upwardly to permit access to the edge of the tile 16b. .When the free end 12a is in normal position, as shown in Figure 3, the flange portion 25 of ,theextension arm rests on top of the flange 36 of the fixed end 12b. In the drawing the space between adjacentparallel runners is spanned by a single tile but it will be understood that two tiles .or more may be supported between adjacent runners. Preferably, splines (not shown) are inserted in the kerfs of abutting tiles which do not lock with a flange 32, 33 except at the joint between tiles 16a and 16b.

As shown in Figure l, the tile 16b is conveniently removed by sliding it from the fixed ends 122) of parallel runners 12 when the tile 16a is in elevated positon. Tile 16a may be elevated by pushing up on the underside of the tile to lift the extension arms 26a from the top of the fixed ends 121). The relatively thin sheet metal construction of the runner and extension arm members inherently permits enough bending of the main runners 12 so as to provide a deflection distance sufficiently greater than the customary thickness of conventional ceiling tiles. This deflection of the main runners by bending provides suflicient clearance to permit lateral sliding of the tiles along their kerfs for initial removal of a first tile. Thereafter, remaining adjacent tiles may be readily removed as desired. In accomplishing this the amount of bending necessary is not suflicient to cause any permanent set or break in the main runners. Thus, it will be appreciated that the accessible feature of my improved suspsension system is provided by the unique splice construction in the runners.

Although I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from its true spirit and scope. It is my intention not to limit my invention other than as necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a suspended ceiling construction, a movable joint between the ends of a tile supporting runner suspended from furring strips extending at right angles thereto, said runner being broken into two segments at a point adjacent one of said furring strips to form one fixed end secured to said furring strip and a free end longitudinally spaced therefrom, an extension arm detachably secured to said free endand adapted to rest on said fixed end whereby said free end may be elevated above said fixed end, and said runner being T-shaped in cross-section having a horizontal base and a vertical web and carrying an additional right angle flange extending from the web, said extension arm being generally L-shaped in crosssection and adapted to telescope between said base and said right angle flange.

2. The joint construction of claim 1 in which said vertical web has protuberances projecting from opposite sides thereof and said extension arm has openings aligned with said protuberances to facilitate sliding said arm past said protuberances.

3. A suspended tile ceiling structure comprising spaced parallel furring strips extending in one direction, runner members having a vertical web and opposed horizontal flanges suspended from said furring strips and running at right angles thereto, said web having protuberances projecting from opposite sides thereof, tiles having kerfed edges supported in abutting relation by said runner flanges wtih their edges bearing against said protuberances, two adjacent parallel runner members being broken beyond the point where they cross a furring strip so that one end is free and the adjacent end is fixed to said furring strip, said free and fixed ends being spaced from each other, an extension arm secured to the free end of each runner and adapted to rest on said fixed end for supporting the tiles abutting between said free and fixed ends adjacent, said break, whereby said free ends and the tile extending between them may be lifted to permit access to the edge of a normally abutting tile for removal thereof from the runners.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said-parallel runner members a'i e 'spaced the width of one tile and said fixed and free ends are spaced from one-half to'three inches apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,807,993 Ericson Oct. 1, 1957 2,816,623 Wong Dec. 17, 1957 2,830,683 Grifiith Apr. 15, 1958 2,882,558 Jacobson et al Apr. 21, 1959 

